Major breakthrough in spate of GQ kidnappings

17 Apr 2024 | Lynn Williams

Bruised and bound with chains and locks, and dressed in blood-stained clothing.

This is how members of the Gqeberha Flying Squad found kidnapped businessman Lu Xiao when they pounced on a house in Missionvale on Wednesday night, at around 19:15, ending his week-long kidnapping terror.

The breakthrough was a result of a joint operation between Flying Squad, the Serious Organised Crime Investigation team of the Hawks based in Gqeberha, Gqeberha Crime Intelligence (CI), Provincial Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC) members, and the Hostage Negotiating Team (HNT).

Xiao, 43, was kidnapped outside his place of employment at a mall in Kariega last week when he stopped his VW Crafter minibus to allow a gate to close behind him.

Two unknown suspects accosted him and forced him into a white Isuzu double cab bakkie.

One day later, a hefty ransom demand was made for his safe return. Though police would not divulge the amount of ransom claimed, Algoa FM News reliably learned that an amount of R2m was claimed.

The RDP house in Missionvale where Xiao was kept is an abandoned tavern called Ruby's Place, surrounded by a boundary wall and a solid iron-clad gate.

It is here that police managed to apprehend three suspects aged between 31 and 41 years old.

One of the suspects is believed to be the owner of the house.

Hawks spokesperson Captain Yolisa Mgolodela said in addition to the arrests, a 9mm pistol, a shotgun, a Renault Triber, and an Isuzu double cab bakkie were seized during the operation.

The suspects are due to appear in the Kariega Magistrates Court on Friday.

Wednesday's arrests were the first arrests made since the recent spike in kidnappings in the city since the beginning of the year.

The kidnappings sowed fear among business owners that they were becoming soft targets to a criminal syndicate that used kidnapping as a means of making money.

Provincial Head Major General Mboiki Obed Ngwenya expressed his elation at the success of the joint team.

He said the arrest might lead to the unlocking of more kidnapping cases under investigation.

Known kidnappings since the beginning of the year:

January:

On 23 January, Zaahir Bayit, 54, was taken by a group of men in front of his hardware store in Motherwell. His family paid a R1m ransom for his release.According to the Hawks, Bayit had told the police to back off and that his family required no further assistance from the cops. No arrests have been made in the case.

Godknows Chavvazhinji, 34, who works as a subcontractor, was abducted in Wells Estate on the same day as Bayit. A ransom demand of R100,000 was made for his safe return, but Chavazhinji was dropped off in Durban Road in Korsten the next day, severely battered and bruised. The Hawks said due to pressure from a Hawks investigation team, he was released without a ransom being paid.

February:

On 9 February a woman, 50, was kidnapped outside her business premises in North End.

It is understood that a R4.5m ransom was made for her return, but she managed to escape from her attackers after being held captive for 24 hours.

The woman was found wandering around in Motherwell.

No arrests have been made in the case.

March:

Neil Ah Tow, 58, was kidnapped on 1 March in front of his business premises in Sidwell and a massive ransom demand of $1.4 million was made four days later. He was however released on 22 March without a ransom being paid. Ah Tow was allegedly dropped off at Marikana in Despatch. No arrests have been made in the case.
Sonam Gajjar, 34, was kidnapped on 13 March when she exited her driveway in Mosel Road, in Kariega. She is the wife of a prominent Kariega businessman. A ransom amount of R2m was paid for her release and safe return. To date, no arrests have been made in the case.